Top-prop for carriages



UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE oook ANI) Hu. KIMBALL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT. 1v1 i Tor-PROP Foa o ARRrAefEs.`

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known thatwe, GEORGE COOK and HANNIBAL I. KIMBALL, bo-th of the city and county of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improveinent` in Top-Props for Carriages; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction, character, and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make a part `of this specication, in which- Figure l, is a perspective View of both the single and double, top props, showing each as attached to a bow. Fig. 2, is a sectional plan of the single top prop, showing one of the ways of attaching it to the bow, aswell as the collar, and thimble, or pipe. Fig. 3, isa sectional plan of the double top prop, showing another way of attacting it to the bow, and also, showing the collar, and thimble, or pipe.

Our improvement consists in passing the shank of the screw-bolt, (which is the standard .of the prop,) through the bow of thev carriage top, and passing a loose collar, and thinible, onto this screw-bolt, or standard, (this thimble reaching through the whole extent of the socket, or sockets, of the'joint bar, or bars, of the carriage top. We use any forni of the carriage top bows, as indicated at A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. `We use common, (or any other,) joint bars, as indicatedfor the double joint, at B, B, Figs l, and 3,and, for the single joint, at C, Figs. l, and 2, (which are to be extended to the required length, &c.) XVe make the screwbolts, as a, Fig. 2, and b, Fig. 3, of the suitable length, and size, to serve'as standards of the props, as shown in Figs. 2, and 3. lVe pass these screw-bolts through the bows, with a. smooth ro-und head, o, on the inside of the carriage; and, on the outside of the carriage, weslip on a loose collar, or slide, as shownl atoZ, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. `We then slip on a thimble, or pipe, as e, Fig. 2, or g, Fig. 3, which works freely on the screwbolt, or standard, ai, or b, as well as in the socket of the joint bars, for the full extent of the socket, or sockets, as shown at e, Fig. 2, and g, Fig. 3. On the outer end of the screw-bolt, c, we screw a nut, as 71., Figs. l, and 2, or, use a square head o'n the bolt as shown at k, Figs. 1, and 3, and tap the screw into a piece of iron fitted to the inside of the gle joint).

Either the single, or double, prop, may

Fig. 2. Or, with a head like 7c, and apiece of iron attached to the inside ofthe carriage` bow, like Z, Fic. 3. `And, if thought best, for 1` bow, as shownin Fig. 3, atl, when the whole will appear, as indicated, inl section, in Figs.` 2, and 3, or, the complete top prop` as shown y p in Fig. l, either atd, B, k, B, or, at d, C, h,

(one being the double, and the other the sin; l

the purpose oi? strength,a thin strap of iron f may be attached to the inner side ofthel bow 1 j and the screw-bolt, as a, pass through it, so

that the head, o, will press uponlit, which". will more than compensatefor the weakening by boring the` hole through the bow, as i J well as prevent the rhead, c, fromwearingl m` between the props `for i. a single, `and double, joints, is, thatfforthenz H the bow covering.`

The only dili'erence double joint, the screw-bolt must be longer, f

and, the thmbles, or pipes, mustcorrespond 180 with the `extent of the socket, `or sockets, of

the joint bar, orbars, asindicates inFigs,` l j 2, and 3.

Should it be found necessary or morecon-l venient, in any case, washers,1of leather, "or

any other suitable substance, `may be `in-` p serted between the sockets, ;&c., as shown at 'j .l

m, Figs. l, 2, and 3.

The'advantages of our improvement, con-l 1 1 sist in, that the workingfofthe sockets of the joint-bars has no tendency touturn .the

screw-bolt, or, to vloosen thel nut, as` is `in-J variably the case in theA common way of constructing and attachingthe prop, aswell ,j as in the way describediii Thomasfpat.`

ent,) so thatin many cases, the nut` drops oli1 and is lost, andthe carriage top; is liable i, y 4to be injured. But `this cane `never beithe .p

case with our improvement, for, as the nut, z, i or the square head, `of the screw-bolt,rests` upon the end ofzthe thimble, itwill `always be kept steady; and in, that `we can make a much `neater finish than by the former.,` method of` attaching the` prop, with a plate 1 screwed onto the outside `of the bowo the carriage top.

We are aware that a collar, or. tapering j nut, (resembling ours on the outs1de,) has been patented by C. Thomas, .butitispredi-` i cated upon the fact thatit screws onto the standardto secure the leather, we, therefore, `i

when the Whole is constructed, and used,

substantially, as herein described.

GEO. COOK.

do not claim any such, as our invention,

but-i What We claim as our invention, and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent, is* HANNIBAL I. KIMBALL. 5 The combination of the thimble, or pipe, i Witnesses:

(e, or g,) with the screw-bolt, or standard, CHAS. W. NOTT,

R. FITZGERAID.

(a, or 6,) and the joint-bars, (B, B, 0r (3,) 

